Confronting Indian Foreign Interference in Canada

Aug 30, 2023

In an event hosted by the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee and BC Gurdwaras Council, the Sikh sangat of Brampton recently gathered for a community discussion on the assassination of Shaheed Bhai Hardeep Singh and the rising threat of Indian foreign interference in Canada.

Led by a panel of naujawan from the World Sikh Organization, Baaz News, and the Panth-Punjab Project, the discussion addressed the mechanisms of Indian foreign interference in considerable detail, as well as the geopolitical context of India-Canada relations. The sangat took strong note of Bhai Hardeep Singh's shahadat and targeted assassination in June as a historic turning point, as India ramps up its repression of Sikh activism and the Panth rejuvenates itself for the next phase of our ongoing sangarsh.

For those interested in reading more, we have compiled a number of resources below:

Indian Foreign Interference: Intimidation, Disinformation, and Undermining Canadian Institutions (British Columbia Gurdwaras Council) and Ontario Gurdwaras Committee (OGC)

The BCGC and OGC jointly released a public report which documents Indian foreign interference and clandestine activities in Canada. The detailed accounts extensively cite Canadian media sources, government officials, and security agencies which indicate that Indian intelligence agencies and diplomats have targeted Canadian media outlets with disinformation, electoral processes across the country, as well as a number of elected officials.

Exposed: India's Disinformation Campaign Against Canada's Sikhs (World Sikh Organization)

The report looks at the history of Indian disinformation campaigns targeting Sikhs in Canada and examines their roots, techniques, and motivation. The report exposes how in recent years Indian misinformation attacks have become more coordinated and aim to influence Canadian politicians, media and society. The goal of these efforts ahs been to malign and marginalize Canadian Sikhs, including elected officials, and to have the community regarded with suspicion and distrust.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Network in Canada (World Sikh Organization and National Council of Canadian Muslims)

Formed in the early 20th century, the RSS is a right-wing paramilitary organization that believes India should be run by and for its Hindu majority first and foremost. In such a vision, religious minorities in India, from Muslims, to Sikhs, to Christians, to Dalits, become second-class citizens. The threat the RSS poses is ongoing and by no means a thing of the past, yet the RSS has only grown in influence as the BJP dominates India's politics. Through organizations that engage in humanitarian, community, education, and political work, the RSS has been spreading its ideologies across the world, including into Canada.

Who Speaks for Khalistan: Narrating Sikh Liberation (Khalistan Centre)

The Khalistan Centre's inaugural publication, Who Speaks for Khalistan: Narrating SIkh Liberation, provides an interpretive framework to understand common allegations made against the Sikh sangarsh within an ongoing pattern of Indian interference and the amplification of Indian targeted messages. We hope to provide a foundation of knowledge for panthic naujawan in order to develop an effective collective response that is farsighted and dedicated to the advancement of the sangarsh itself.

Laying Foundations: Preparing for the Struggle Ahead (Khalistan Centre)

In the midst of widespread panthic mobilization around the world, there has been a wave of motivation amongst panthic naujawan to organize and participate directly in the sangarsh in some form. This document collates content from previous resources developed by the Khalistan Centre in order to effectively understand our current moment, the challenges that lay ahead, and what panthic naujawan--as the future of the panth--can do.